


to the sea

by Shinkirou



Category: Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X & Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy X-2
Genre: Canon Het Relationship, Established Relationship, F/M, Friendship, Secret Santa, Sports, Team, Team Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-01
Updated: 2013-01-01
Packaged: 2017-11-23 04:46:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/618230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shinkirou/pseuds/Shinkirou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rikku and Yuna learn to play Blitzball.<br/>... Well, kind of.</p>
            </blockquote>





	to the sea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Amoris](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amoris/gifts).



It comes out of the blue one day as they're in Luca, visiting the shops and showing Tidus what's changed over the past two years. 

"You know, you never taught any of us how to play Blitzball!" Rikku chirps as they pass the stadium. People are milling about, but lacking the crazed atmosphere they would have were there currently a game going on. Instead, it seems like mostly tourists are milling around, though there's probably something going on later today because if Tidus has learned anything since he woke up a few days ago, it's that things haven't really actually changed all that much. 

Tidus blinks at her, amused, and says, "Yeah, sorry, we were a little busy saving the world and all that." He catches Yuna smiling out of the corner of his eye, and instinctively reaches an arm around both the shoulders of both women, pulling them against him and laughing, "But I _guess_ I can teach you, if you really wanna play."

Yuna looks faintly surprised, like she'd never even really thought about playing, herself, but Rikku just steps out from under Tidus's arm to stand in front of them, one hand punching the air as she cheers, "Yeah! I'm gonna kick some butt!"

Tidus and Yuna both laugh, but Yuna turns to face Tidus and smiles at him so he knows she's in too. Yuna had changed, but not in a bad way, Tidus had mused - before, she had been repressing her fun spirit, thinking that she was going to die and that she had to devote her entire being to the cause. No fun, no jokes, only seriousness. Tidus understood - it was Sin they were playing with, there wasn't exactly time to play around, but at the same time he is glad to know that apparently even the little amounts of playing around that they had done had left an impact. Yuna now is still capable of looking after herself - in fact even more so than she was before, Aeons or no - but she also seems way more fun. Maybe Rikku had rubbed off on her, too.

As if reading his thoughts, Rikku whines a little at their meandering pace and huffs, "Come ooooon already! You're just afraid that I'll be a secret ace and that I'll beat you without even trying!"

Tidus drops his arm from Yuna's shoulder and Yuna laughs as Tidus says, "Yeah right! Like that'd ever happen. You'll be lucky to score at all! In fact since we're only three people," they'd had some other girl with them for a while, but she'd gone off somewhere, "I won't even play with a goalie! You and Yuna against me!"

"Oh, it's on!" 

Yuna runs to stand next to Rikku and they strike matching poses, pretending to be intimidating, but Yuna nods seriously and adds, "Don't underestimate us!"

Tidus waves his hands, tone joking, “No, no, I would never! I’m sure you’ll wipe the floor with me.”

Yuna smiles but holds her pose until Rikku gives a ‘hmph!’ of agreement, then they turn toward the stadium. Tidus is a little surprised by how the staff are tripping over themselves to accommodate the three of them, but then again Yuna _did_ save the world and all. 

It’s almost no time at all before Tidus is explaining the rules while they wait for the pool to fill up. Both girls are paying attention (well, Rikku is as much as she can, anyway), and before long they both nod their understanding of the rules.

Tidus isn’t sure how much they actually retained, but he figures he’ll find out soon.

\- - - - -

The game is… _interesting_ , to say the least. He’d explained the rules and how to play, sure, but it quickly dissolves more into a no-holds-barred underwater war between Tidus and Rikku. Which Tidus kind of expected, honestly; he and Rikku competing and following all the rules? Yeah, right.

By the end of it, Rikku has hit Tidus in the face with the ball no less than three times (which is impressive, really, because Tidus is usually pretty hard to hit), and Yuna has had to take two breaks above water to replenish her oxygen from laughing so hard. 

At some point Yuna had drifted back to be a goalie for Rikku, probably to avoid being smashed repeatedly with the ball when Rikku throws wildly, and Tidus seriously doesn’t blame her. It was fun, though, and they had lost track of time, apparently, because when they emerge from the water, staff members are telling them that there is another event supposed to be coming in two hours, and could they maybe possibly drain the pool please forgive us Lady Yuna?

Yuna apologizes and insists on helping clean up, dragging Tidus and Rikku along with her, but it isn’t so bad (though they do make more of a mess for the first few minutes, as Rikku starts kicking water and throwing towels which Tidus does right back until Yuna pleads with them to stop playing and actually help, though she’s smiling as she says it), between the three of them it’s pretty quick work.

They’ve been up and about for almost seventeen hours, Tidus points out, and though he isn’t exactly tired, Yuna does appear to be getting a little worn out. Rikku offers to carry her, jokingly, and so Tidus does the same, and when Yuna turns them both down, they simultaneously ignore her. They each tuck an arm under one of Yuna’s, and when she makes a noise of protest they force her to swing her legs up, shooting their remaining free hands under her knees. She’s cradled between the two of them, laughing, and Rikku says, “Jeez Yunnie, you’re putting on some weight! We’d better come back and play again tomorrow!”

Tidus snorts, because everyone knows that Yuna is definitely _not_ heavy, anyone could see that by just looking at her, but the falsely-despairing look Yuna shoots up is enough to make both Tidus and Rikku laugh. Yuna says, “I guess we’ll have to!”

In the meantime, though, it’s getting dark, and Yuna’s half asleep in their grip already. Tidus feels an overwhelming rush of affection for the two of them – differently, of course, but he cares for them oth all the same. The way they’d settled right back in as if he’d never left means more to him than anything. Rikku’s smiling at him when he looks back up, and he figures she must know what he’s thinking. He smiles back and pulls Yuna a little closer.

Nobody’s going anywhere. They have all the time in the world, this time.


End file.
